Rarely have we seen such agitation in the Repsol Honda box. Almost, we would have seen all the RC213Vs in the history of Marc Márquez in a team with which he recently signed until 2024… A 2019 version was taken from the Nakagami LCR box, solutions dating back to 2017 had been dusted off to understand how to move forward with the 2020 opus. And it is in this state that Honda will approach the season, from March 6 in Qatar… Or almost!
Marc Márquez does not hide the crisis situation currently experienced at Honda: “ we were completely lost on Sundayhe », admitted the eight-time World Champion. This is why he tested the aerodynamic package for the 2019 MotoGP season at Losail on Monday. “ It was an intense day. We tried to analyze everything that had changed compared to the previous year, including tires, aerodynamics, chassis, engine. We tested some parts from 2019 with the new bike. It was a mix of things, including the aero package. It wasn't just one thing, it was four or five. It was a matter of finding out where the problem was, and we found it. It was the most important thing of the whole pre-season, not just the day of test »
The 27-year-old Spaniard, who finished seventh with a gap of 0,291 seconds on the Yamaha Casa Particular in Viñales, was noticeably relieved Monday evening: “ I am very happy. To be honest, on Sunday and the first day the situation worried me a lot, technically and physically. We have taken a big step, we have understood many, many things. You could see that in the pace and lap time everything was easier. The bike was also less demanding for my physical condition.sithan. »
Marc Márquez is convinced that his colleagues at the brand will also benefit from the new discoveries: “ we worked a lot on my side, all the work was focused on me. Cal then tried some things we found, and it seems better for him too. He has taken a big step and I believe that if all Honda riders take this path, they will progress too. I think we have found the direction. That was the most important thing. Because we were completely lost. »
« I was worried for two reasons: because we weren't fast enough and because I had completely lost feel for the bike, and I didn't understand why. », declared the six-time MotoGP world champion. “ I had a strange crash in Malaysia, then a strange crash here and I didn't understand anything. I thought it was because of my physical condition, but then I saw that all the Honda riders had problems. Not only my teammate, who is a rookie, but also Cal, who has a lot of experience. But we understood everything. I would like to thank Honda, the whole team and all the mechanics for their excellent work. »
Márquez is cautiously optimistic about the first Grand Prix of the season, which will take place on March 8 at the Losail international circuit: “ If we had raced on Monday we would have been ready for an eighth, ninth or tenth place. But we are ready, maybe not to fight for victory because we still have problems here in Qatar, but at least we are ready. I still have confidence in the bike, I still feel that it’s my bike. And I had fun, that wasn't the case for the first two days. Again we found our way to Qatar on the last day, I think this was already the case in 2016. That's where the little smile on my face comes from », smiled Marc, who warned at the same time: “ but it's also true that we still have a lot to do because the pace of the others seems good. »
What will these last minute solutions mean at the next Qatar Grand Prix? Reply March 8…
MotoGP Test Qatar J3: times
Combined classification J1/J2/J3:
Credit rankings: MotoGP.com
